I N T E R V I E W

The Chairman of the Board


The REC is growing by leaps and bounds, transforming itself from a small Budapest-based foundation into an international organization with its own "home" on the banks of the Danube. Following fast on the heels of the Center's fifth birthday, the REC was granted international status by the Hungarian government. And the future looks no less quiescent; part of the deal was a property in Szentendre that the REC will be calling its own come spring. We caught up with Bedrich Moldan, chairman of the REC's board of directors, just before the center took an active role in the Sofia "Environment for Europe" Ministerial Conference. During the interview, he reflected on the past and looked to the future. Excerpts:

What is the significance of the REC's change in status from a Hungarian foundation to an international organization?
It's a very pragmatic change that will ensure the ease by which the REC continues its activities, at least from a legal and financial point of view: dealing with banks, our taxation status and so on. We will also enjoy some international advantages similar to those enjoyed by diplomats. But these are only practical advantages; I think it will also bring the Center a larger sense of responsibility and enhanced status in both the Region and Hungary, and this will create momentum in the REC's development.

With offices and activities in 13 countries, the REC has already been operating as a de facto international organization. Will the status change simply make the job easier?
Basically, the outside world will not see any changes immediately. They will just be the formal changes in our constitution and our registration as a Hungarian foundation. Even more important is the fact that these changes are accompanied by other actions on the part of the Hungarian government. We will sign an agreement between REC and the Hungarian government that will give us, practically free-of-charge, a lease on some very important property in Szentendre. Just by giving us a better workplace, the Hungarian government will allow the REC to enlarge and expand our activities without spending any more money.

How will the property donation affect the REC's bid for financial sustainability?
This is a very important contribution to our quest for financial sustainability. We hope it will be the start of an endowment fund that we can secure from other sources. This is an in-kind endowment; it's not necessarily financial but the property is valued at around ECU 5 million, and we hope that other governments will follow suit so we can build a fund that will ultimately guarantee the REC's financial security.

We might even attract more donors by enhancing our activities and by making the REC more visible. We hope to continue our relatively new initiative to cooperate with industry. In Szentendre, we will be able, on one hand, to organize relatively large events for Central and Eastern European NGOs because we can accommodate large numbers of people; on the other hand, we will be able to organize smaller seminars involving both industry and our other constituents. Hopefully, this will attract donors for specific projects.

Because this property is so large, we also hope to rent parts of this facility to other organizations and make some money. We certainly will be very careful with such a policy, not to use it for any commercial activities, but only for activities that are in the direction of our Charter and our goals: directly enhancing environmental protection.

The REC is going through an important transformation, what with the status change, moving to Szentendre and involving businesses more in environmental protection. What is your vision of the REC in, say, five years?
I think it will be a well-respected, international organization that our constituents can ask to do specific tasks that they are unable to do alone. I have in mind not only businesses and NGOs but also governments from the Region. We will be an organization that focuses more and more on regional issues and regional cooperation. If I may quote my own prime minister, Mr. (Vaclav) Klaus, who is rather well-known for his skepticism about regional cooperation, he said in a speech at a recent summit in Poland that we are "rediscovering" Central Europe.

I hope the REC will help rediscover the Region, that it has many things in common, because we will do so largely through environmental issues. We are finishing the first post-communist period and we are proud of the positive changes that allow us to forget our communist past. We are looking forward to a second period of transition, a period of relative stability and quiet development in which regional cooperation will play an important part.

THE BULLETIN * AUTUMN 1995